Ella Scaysbrook interviewed after her defeat of co-medallist Asterisk Talley – image Darren Carroll USGA

Newcastle’s Ella Scaysbrook and Victorian Jazy Roberts have moved through the opening round of match play at the US Women’s Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes in Oregon. They will tackle the round of 32 tomorrow.

Scaysbrook, who has spent the last two months competing in events in the US, was forced to survive a playoff on Wednesday morning between 15 golfers for seven spots to earn a place in the top 64 and then proceeded to defeat one of the two leading qualifiers in the 36-hole strokeplay, Asterisk Talley, in her opening round match-up.

Talley, a member of the U.S. National Junior Team who was coming off a win last week in the Girls Junior PGA Championship and jumped to No. 13 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®, never won a hole against Scaysbrook. She was 2 down after three and then lost four consecutive holes from No. 11.

Roberts, the 7^th qualifier, was 2 up with two to play in her opening round match against Michigan’s Macie Elzinger but lost her closing two holes to birdies before a birdie at the first hole of extra time sealed her win.

The only other Australian to make the match play phase, Momo Sugiyama, was defeated in her opening round match by Thailand’s  Pinky Chaisil Prungruang.

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The Gold Coast’s Momo Sugiyama – one of two Australians guaranteed a place in match-play phase

Two of the three Australians who made it into the field for the US Women’s Amateur Championship at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon have finished inside the top 64 to advance to tomorrow’s opening knockout round, while another will face a playoff to determine whether or not she advances.

Jazy Roberts (7^th) and Momo Sugiyama (33^rd) will take on their match play opponents after surviving against a field of more than 150 to play their way into the all important match play phase but, for Ella Scaysbrook, she is amongst the 15 golfers to fight it out for one of seven remaining spots when they return to the course tomorrow.

Roberts, from the Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Melbourne, made it to the final 16 at the recent Women’s Amateur Championship in Nairn in Scotland and earlier won the Pacific Northwest Amateur in the US and finished runner-up at the North and South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst.

Sugiyama attends Purdue University in the US and has just finished her senior year. The Gold Coast born and raised golfer attended Purdue from 2022.

Scaysbrook, from Newcastle in NSW, is a prolific placegetter in Australian amateur events but will need a bit of luck if she is to survive her playoff for a place in the top 64 tomorrow.

The Australians will look to join Gabi Ruffels as the only Australians to have won this prestigious women’s amateur title.

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Miyu Yamashita – image Mark Runnacles LET

Japanese star, Miyu Yamashita, today won not only her first major title but her first LPGA Tour event with a two-shot victory over England’s Charley Hull and Japan’s Minami Katsu at the AIG Women’s Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.

Japanese golfers have won two majors in 2025 to go with the two they won in 2024, highlighting that country’s growing presence in the Rolex Rankings.

Yamashita has been a prolific winner on the Japan LPGA Tour, but this is her rookie LPGA Tour season, and, in an impressive first season where she was already featuring as one of the leading rookies, she has elevated her standing in the game significantly.

She is now likely to move inside the top ten on the Rolex Rankings from her current 15th position as a result of her win today.

Yamashita was in or near the lead throughout the event after her opening round of 68 left her one behind her countrywoman Rio Takeda, but it was her second round of 65 that allowed her to take control of the event, and although she was challenged throughout the final 36 holes, she never let the lead slip.

“This has been a goal of mine, something I’ve worked towards my whole life, a dream you could say,” said the champion. “It’s been the result of hard work every single day, making changes, making improvements, and to be able to do it now and call myself a champion is a very special thing.”

Hull began the weekend a massive 11 shots behind Yamashita but finished just two from the winner, recording yet another runner-up finish in majors, her 4^th such result.

Stephanie Kyriacou finished as the leading Australasian when she added a final round of 71 to share 8^th place and earn a cheque for US$228,000, taking her earnings for the season to US$806,000.

“The 1st hole was quite rough,” said Kyriacou, referring to her triple bogey start.  “It’s not ideal when you hit your second ball OB, onto the beach. I stuck in there, showed some grit, and finished 1-under today. I’m very happy.

“I think it would have been quite easy to throw it in and be like, oh, F this or whatever, but I got something out of my round. I got something out of my day. I’m really proud with how I showed up for the rest of the day.”

When asked to assess her performance in the majors this year, Kyriacou responded;

“I’d say the last two have definitely — I’ve definitely played golf how I’ve wanted to, which is nice. I think sometimes in majors I let it being a major added some pressure. Yeah, I think I’ve learned a lot in majors, which I’ll take into next year. I know it’s a long way away, but even to take into some tournaments in a couple weeks’ time.”

Minjee Lee finished 13^th, Lydia Ko 36^th and Grace Kim 67^th.

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The leader by three Miyu Yamashita – image Mark Runnacles LET

Japanese golfers, led by their second-highest-ranked player, Miyu Yamashita, still control the AIG Women’s Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl, with Yamashita now holding a three-shot lead over fellow countrywoman Rio Takeda following a stunning second-round score of 65.

Yamashita’s round was the best of the day by three shots, opening with consecutive birdies at her opening two holes and playing bogey-free golf for the remainder of her early morning round in which she was, interestingly, paired with Takeda.

Highlighting the domination of the Japanese, Takeda is, herself, four shots clear of the group in 3^rd place.

Yamashita has yet to win on the LPGA Tour, but she has been a regular placegetter, finished runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last year, and has been a prolific winner on the Japan LPGA Tour.

The leading Australasian in what has been a somewhat disappointing week thus far for the twelve who began the event is Sydney’s Stephanie Kyriacou in a share of 28^th place at even par and eleven shots from the lead.

Kyriacou’s cause was aided by a hole-in-one at her 8^th hole and an eagle at the last, but in between, there was a mixture of three birdies and five bogeys in her round of 2 under 70.

“I don’t know,” said Kyriacou when asked to describe the shots that slam dunked into the hole. “I’m not tall enough to see over the wall. Yeah, a pretty good shot.

“I didn’t see it go in, which sucked, but the crowd went nuts, and I heard the flag. Didn’t damage the hole, which was surprising, so it was quite clean. But yeah, my first official hole-in-one with no asterisk. Pretty excited.

“I didn’t want to celebrate if it didn’t go in the hole. I thought maybe it hit the flag and just went somewhere, so the reaction is probably pretty cool for a hole-in-one. I just gave a running high five when we got to the green.”

Lydi Ko, Minjee Lee and Grace Kim all only just survived the 2 over par cut and begin tomorrow’s third round in a share of 53^rd place.

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Stephanie Kyriacou’s hole in one

Minjee Lee during round one play – image LET

It is a Japanese-dominated leaderboard after day one of the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl in southern Wales, the leading three players all from the land of the rising sun and six in the top 13 after the opening day.

Eri Okayama and her fellow countrywoman, Rio Takeda, share the lead after opening rounds of 5 under 67 and have opened up a one-shot lead over Miyu Yamashita.

Japanese golfers have won this event on two occasions in its 50-year history, the last being in 2019 when Hinako Shibuno was successful, but the country is beginning to feature in major championships regularly of late, and they have made a great start in the pursuit of another victory.

Not unexpectantly, Minjee Lee heads the large Australasian contingent following her opening round of 70 with Gabi Ruffels and Grace Kim the next best at 1 under 71 to be in a share of 30th place, such is the congested nature of the leaderboard.

“I mean, it was difficult, setup a little differently than what I thought it was going to,” said Lee. “I think the wind will probably get up in the afternoon, and it will be the same for everyone.

“The tees were up a little bit, but some of the holes it made it harder because you couldn’t hit driver off the tee. So you were hitting less than like 3-woods or 7-woods off the tee. Like 10 was up. And maybe like 15 or 16.

“It was 7, one of the holes was kind of tough because usually the right side is okay, but because I went a little bit further right, trying to not go into the bunkers, it was like kind of dead. It was just little things like that. It was playing a little different. The wind was similar to maybe like the first practice day and maybe the pro-am day for me, the Tuesday.

“I don’t think I’m going to complain with a 2-under start. Some of the holes are just beasts out there. Sometimes you’ve got to take what you get and just make a bogey and get out of there and reset, try and make better score on the next hole.

“It’s a major championship. You’re going to make bogeys. Just try to keep your emotions in check and take it one shot at a time.”

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